


Hurricane

by QueenForADay



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awesome Mako Mori, BAMF Hermann Gottlieb, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Grumpy Hermann Gottlieb, Hermann Gottlieb needs a hug, M/M, Mako Mori Lives, Neurological Disorders, Newton Geiszler Needs a Hug, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Hermann Gottlieb, Post-Canon, Post-Kaiju War, Post-Movie: Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 11:28:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15218171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenForADay/pseuds/QueenForADay
Summary: What can be done about Newt? In the time that follows the end of the second kaiju war, that's the question on everyone's mind. As Newton is detained, Hermann is subjugated to interviews by a mysterious Kazuo Abe who, apparently, holds Newton's fate in his hands.[Minor changes made to the canon present by Pacific Rim: Uprising]





	1. Chapter 1

When Dr Hermann Gottlieb is invited to a hearing sanctioned by the remnants of the PPDC, he isn’t quite sure what to expect. (And he would use the term “invited” loosely).

He didn’t expect to be woken up at eight in the morning by a series of sharp knocks on his apartment door.

He didn’t expect two burly-looking, armed men to be standing the hallway of the apartment block, stating simply that he had to come with them.  

He didn’t expect to be ushered into an office boardroom after an hour-long car-ride.

And he didn’t expect Jake Pentecost, Nate Lambert, Mako Mori and Liwen Shao to already be seated around the boardroom table. The door to the office is shut behind him and he’s left standing, staring around at everyone in the room. At the head of the table is a new face, he realises, but dressed as primly and official-like as any other person he’s seen inside in this building.

The man seated at the head of the table stands, straightening his suit jacket. “Dr Gottlieb,” he says, “good of you to join us.”

Everyone else in the room turns their heads to look over at Hermann, except for Jake. The Pentecost boy just stares at his joined hands, resting on top of the chrome table. With everyone’s gaze on him, Hermann’s grip on the handle of his cane tightens slightly.

He clears his throat. “Good morning.”

The man gestures to an empty seat at the table, to the left of Liwen. “My name is Kazuo Abe,” he says as Hermann takes his seat, “I will be conducting this hearing.”

Hermann takes a moment to look around the table. Both Jake and Nate sit to Kazuo’s right, while Shao and Mako sit on his left. Hermann’s own seat is directly across from the man, at the other end of the table. One of the walls of the office is iced-glass, obstructing a view out to other smaller offices outside. On the other side of the room is a wall of floor to ceiling windows looking out on to Tokyo. It’s only been a couple of weeks since the end of the attacks. With the breach closed again, the city is in a state of repair. The remaining skyscrapers stand among crumpled buildings encased in scaffolding and machinery. Above them all, Hermann sees the morning sun starting to perch itself in the sky.

He almost forgets where he is until Kazuo clears his throat.

“I’ve called each of you here for one reason,” he explains slowly, “and that is to ascertain a decision on what to do with Dr Gieszler’s...condition.”

Hermann straightens in his seat. Something heavy and cold drops to the very pit of his stomach, almost making him gag. He sees Jake’s hands tighten.

Kazuo casts a quick glance to both sides of the table. “Each of you will be interviewed separately at times which suit you. I want you to understand that everything stated in these interviews will be documented and reviewed by me and my colleagues.”

“And could we ask who _they_ are?” Mako asks briskly. She sits ramrod straight in her seat to Kazuo’s immediate left.

A small smile curls along Kazuo’s thin lips. “Will knowing such information affect what you tell us?”

Mako is silent for a moment. “Possibly.”

Hermann has to stifle a laugh. Interactions between him and Mako have been few and far between, but any time he does manage to steal a few moments of conversation with her, he’s always impressed. He was impressed with her training and career under Marshall Pentecost. He was even more impressed with how she stepped into the role of Marshall with ease. Even now, she’s unshakeable.

Then again, Hermann thinks, she’s faced down kaiju.

Kazuo picks up a tablet that has been resting in front of him and quickly types out a couple of commands. From an orb in the centre of the table flickers a blue hologram. Among the streams of light, he makes out television news segments from around the world: all reporting on the end of the latest kaiju attacks. Some of them are in sleek newsrooms chatting fervently with apparent experts. Others are on the streets of various cities like Tokyo and Sydney speaking with passersby strangers. Cameras pan up to damaged buildings. Then images of weeping and distraught crowds. An image of a Tokyo orphanage full to capacity makes Hermann look down at the table.

“The situation is worse than last time,” Kazuo says simply. Everyone around the table looks at the holograms. Every minute or so something new pops up. “While our last attack concluded with news stations across the world heralding heroes, now, we have this.”

Kazuo taps at his tablet again, and new videos start playing.

Like the last time, Hermann sees immaculately dressed news reporters standing in front of orphanages, hospitals, and welfare offices – all of them packed to capacity. The expressions on their faces are dire. One report, though, catches his eye.

Half of the screen is a sour-faced raging man. A nametag on the bottom of the screen states that he’s a member of the Japanese government. On the other half of the screen is a picture of Newton.

Hermann swallows a thick lump forming in his throat. The picture they’ve used for the report is an old one. It was taken during Newton’s employment in the K-Science days. Hermann studies it. That’s the old Newton, not the one he met during this whole fiasco. Sure, remnants of him where there. But Hermann tells himself that maybe it was a front; maybe the Precursors let a fragment of Newton to surface to keep up appearances.

He shakes the thought away.

Kazuo spots him staring. “Certain officials such as Minister Tanaka are calling for Dr Gieszler to be put to capital punishment.”

The man is quick to interject again when he sees all of the others around the table suddenly jerk their heads towards him. “It’s extreme, and there’s only a handful actually backing this decision. But it’s being discussed nonetheless. Whether or not the Prime Minister listens to these discussions and accepts them, that’s to be seen to.”

Hermann’s leg starts to act up. He’s jostling the other one – a nervous tick that had really gotten on Newton’s nerves during their co-inhibition of the labs together.

“And that’s where you all and I come in,” Kazuo finishes. He reaches for his tablet again, swiping away at the news reports. Within a second, the blue glowing hologram retreats back into the orb and the room looks normal again. Kazuo taps at his tablet and clears his throat.

Beside Hermann, Shao leans forward slightly, resting her arms on the table. “You’re a lawyer of some description, aren’t you?”

Kazuo doesn’t respond to it for a moment. Shao goes to ask again before Kazuo casts a quick look up at her over the rim of his glasses. “Not exactly, Miss Shao. I’ve been employed by the PPDC and concerned bodies to understand the condition of Dr Gieszler.”

“And who exactly are these _concerned bodies_?” Hermann finds himself asking.

Kazuo idly waves his hand. “Of no importance for now. All you need to do is inform my team and me of what you know about Dr Gieszler’s condition.”

“Why do you keep using that word?” Hermann presses suddenly. “Why do you keep saying _condition_?”

Kazuo sets down his tablet. “Because that is the most accurate word to use at present, Dr Gottlieb.”

A silence falls heavily down on the table. Kazuo is the one to break it after what seems like hours.

“I understand you have put forward requests to visit Dr Gieszler, Dr Gottlieb?”

 _His name is Newton_. “Yes, I have.”

“And all have been rejected.”

“Yes.” The word is difficult to get out. He has a stack of rejected visiting forms on his dining room table back at his apartment.

Nate snorts. “Jesus, I wonder why.” He suddenly winces when Jake quickly jabs his elbow into his side and settles him with a harrowing glare. Everything about the look states _shut up_.

Kazuo settles Hermann with an unreadable look. “Dr Gieszler is currently being detained by the proper services. Access to him is, at the moment, prohibited until all of our affairs are settled.”

Jake turns his head slightly “He’s _detained by the proper services_? Why don’t you just say he’s in jail?”

Hermann’s heart starts to hammer heavily against his chest. He fears that if it continues, it may just break through his ribcage and burst out on to the table in front of him.

“Because, to the best of my knowledge, he is _not_ in jail, Mr Pentecost. He’s merely detained for this time period until our investigations are concluded. Then, he can start going through necessary treatment if it is required.”

And, lastly of ‘things that Hermann doesn’t expect’, he doesn’t expect to be told what _necessary treatment_ means.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuo interviews Hermann. Later, an old friend makes a promise.

Kazuo Abe meets him again a number of days later. He’s heard from Mako and Jake that each of them have apparently been visited in their homes by Abe and a handful of other representatives. Hermann’s apartment within Tokyo, to the best of his knowledge, is only temporary. He’s received emails from Oxford and Cambridge offering him a teaching and research position, if he wants it. There was another offer from TU back in Berlin offering the same jobs. Those emails came almost two weeks ago. They’re still sitting opened, and not replied to, since then.

Kazuo idly wanders around Hermann’s living room while the two other men who accompanied him take sentinel positions at the doorway back into the hallway. A glass coffee table divides them. Soon the glass surface is covered with closed files stacked neatly together, and held in place by rubber bands. Kazuo sits back against the couch and starts typing on his tablet.

“This is Kazuo Abe conducting an interview with Dr Hermann Gottlieb at his Tokyo residence. Starting time is 11:43 am.”

Kazuo looks up at him over the rim of his glasses. “Does the interviewee agree to foreclose any and all relevant information regarding the subject of this interview?”

Hermann straightens in his seat. “Yes.”

“Then we’ll begin,” Kazuo says as he leans forward to place his tablet on the centre of the table. On the screen, Hermann notes, is a red dot signalling that the tablet is recording. Kazuo reclines back against the couch again and rests his joined hands on his knee. “What is your relation to Dr Newton Gieszler?”

Already, Hermann can feel something starting to form and lodge in his throat. “Newt- Dr Gieszler, he’s, was my lab partner. We worked in the K-Science unit for the PPDC.”

“When was this?”

“2025.”

Kazuo nods, casting his eyes down to the files on the table. “And how would you describe your relationship with Dr Gieszler?”

At that, Hermann clears his throat. He knows what Kazuo is asking – working-relationship, he means. But flashes of the previous years suddenly blink through his mind. Vivid images of their conjoined lives appear in front of him, almost real enough to reach out and touch.

“We were lab partners. I was commissioned by the PPDC to figure out the likelihood of another attack, and when would it take place. Dr Gieszler was commissioned to study the biology of the kaiju.”

Kazuo’s expression remains unreadable. A pain in Hermann’s leg slowly ebbs from a dull throb into a dull ache, settling into his femur. He rests his hand against his thigh and applies slight pressure.

“How would you describe Dr Gieszler’s methods during this time?”

Hermann tilts his head slightly. “What do you mean?”

Kazuo shrugs a shoulder. “You say he was enlisted to study kaiju biology for the PPDC. It was my understanding that the PPDC wanted to understand how the kaiju operated. How did Dr Gieszler achieve this?”

 _He’s leading you_ , Hermann suddenly realises. He’s still not quite sure who Kazuo is representing. Or who this information is being relayed to. He’s been careful with his words so far. Anything said to Kazuo and his associates have been common knowledge: probably things they already know. He likes to think that maybe the others have been doing the same. Mako would. Jake would. He isn’t too sure about the others.

“Dr Gieszler dedicated years of his youth to studying the kaiju and their anatomies,” Hermann begins. _Tell them what they already know._ “He was more than qualified to lead that aspect of the K-Science unit. He spent days and night meticulously analysing every scrap of kaiju part that was brought into our lab.”

Kazuo nods again. It’s a small movement. “Is it true that in order to understand how they worked, Dr Gieszler used Jaeger technology to ‘drift’ with one of these creatures?”

 _They should know this already_. “Yes,” Herman answers. “It was an extreme measure – one that I didn’t agree with at all – but it led to understanding how the Breach worked. It ultimately led to the kaiju being destroyed.”

“For a time,” Kazuo quips. He leans forward to pluck at one of the files. He runs his eyes over the contents before setting his gaze back on Hermann. “How would you describe your relationship with Dr Gieszler after the end of the kaiju war?”

A heavy silence falls upon the room. Outside, he can faintly hear the muffled sounds of Tokyo. Nestled in one of the newer skyscrapers, the district of Toranomon has been his home for almost a month now. He can’t get used to the noise outside. “To be truthful, strained.” His gaze wanders over to the two armed men posted to the door of the living room.

“Explain.”

“With the war over, the K-Science unit was dissolved, and we were sent away. We were both offered work by different agencies outside of the PPDC. I continued to work alongside Marshall Mori, while Dr Gieszler pursued a different avenue of employment.”

“With Ms Shao?”

Hermann nods. After a moment of silence, and a slight frown from Kazuo, he realises that his answers must be verbal. “Yes. He worked alongside Ms Shao.”

“And did you two maintain contact during this time?”

Hermann presses the tips of his fingers into the muscle of his thigh. “Not really. We spoke during the weeks after the war ended. When we parted ways, I tried to keep communication going between us, but it...it phased out after a while.”

A corner of Kazuo’s lip turns downwards. “Before your communication ‘phased out’, did you know of any plans or projects worked on by Dr Gieszler? For either Ms Shao or anyone else?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

A frown creases Hermann’s brow. “I still have our correspondences if you would like to review them yourself.”

Kazuo huffs a quiet laugh. “That won’t be necessary, Dr Gottlieb. I trust that you are telling the truth.”

And it goes on like that for God knows however long. Any answer Hermann gives is just as measured and carefully constructed as the last. Whenever Kazuo asks a question, he always gives himself half a minute or so to construct something that either can’t be used against him, or against Newton. Distantly, he wonders about information given by the others. Each of them could be lethal to Newton.

Hermann could be lethal. They could be interviewing him to keep up appearances. To make everything seem fair. His closeness with Newton could either help the other man, or damn him.

When Kazuo unfolds his legs and leans forward, the movement almost catches Hermann off-guard. “I think that will be all for today,” he says, pressing his thumb to the front of the tablet. It blinks to life. The red dot is still in the middle, with a timer running underneath it. Hermann doesn’t know how long this interview took place for, but it seems like hours.

“My associates and I will be visiting you again, Dr Gottlieb, but I thank you for your contribution today.”

Hermann’s joints are starting to lock up. He’s been massaging the muscle of his thigh on-and-off for the duration of this interview. He almost sighs with relief when Kazuo asks him if that’s all he has to say for the day. “Yes, I believe so.”

Kazuo lifts one finger and pushes the thick rim of his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Excellent. Concluding this interview with Dr Hermann Gottlieb at 12:39 pm.”

 

* * *

 

 

He spends the rest of the day wandering through Toranomon. The district is one of the more repaired segments of the city. He supposes it’s mainly because of the wealthy families who have lived here for decades. Other areas of the capital aren’t so lucky. From his apartment, he sees the rest of Tokyo, with scaffolding covering at least half of it.

Kazuo’s questions still linger slightly in his mind. He wonders about the different answers he might have given the other man. What else could he have said? _Newton Geiszler was possessed. It wasn’t his fault. None of this was his fault._

When he manages to snag a seat at a local ramen restaurant, Hermann’s mind starts to wander. He’ll have to be careful. Everything he’s saying is monitored. He wonders if he’s being watched. If whoever it is that Kazuo is working for has people trailing him. He wouldn’t be surprised.

He eats his ramen slowly, piece by piece as he snatches slices of chicken and soy-marinated egg with ease. There’s suddenly a presence lingering over his shoulder.

“Hermann,” a familiar voice reaches him through the cacophonous noise of the busy restaurant. He looks over his shoulder and a breath suddenly leaves him.

“Mako.” He goes to stand, but Mako shakes her head. A few strands of hair fall from a loose knot tied at the back of her head. They frame her face, reminding Hermann of the way she used to carry her hair all those years ago. She’s changed a lot since then.

She takes a seat beside him, raising a hand to catch a server. “Has Mr Abe visited you yet?” she asks. A server wanders over, takes her order, and disappears back into the kitchen.

Hermann moves the tip of his chopstick around the broth, signalling out a couple of strands of radishes. In their past life, he would have transferred them over to Newton’s bowl. They often took meals together within the walls of their lab: never finding any time to actually leave their work and venture outside. Ramen was the staple. The memory ebbs at him.

“He did, yes.”

Mako raises an eyebrow. “And how was it?”

“He asked simple questions... _open_ questions at times. Leading questions at other times.”

Mako nods along. “He tried the same with me. I’ve spoken to Jake, and Jake has spoken to Nate. Everyone seems to be being asked the same sorts of things.”

The server returns and places a neatly segmented bowl of miso ramen in front of her and is gone again in a blink.

“Anything on Shao?” Hermann asks. He watches Mako’s profile closely.

Mako shakes her head. More strands of hair are dislodged. “I don’t know. Neither do the boys.” She eventually places her chopsticks back down on the table and redoes her hair. It’s a series of quick hand movements and suddenly her hair is up again. The Mako sitting beside him is different from the Mako who marches through the Shatterdome halls. Marshal Mori isn’t sitting beside him. Mako is. He’s glad, in a way.

Hermann picks up a piece of chicken. “I don’t know what to make of any of this,” he says, expression suddenly turning sullen. “If they do have Newton under observation, then they should surely realise that he isn’t in his right mind. That something else has a hold of him.”

Mako cups her bowl with her hands and brings it to her lips. After a quick sip, she sets it back down. “The Precursors managed to live inside his head for ten years. You were the only one Newton told he wasn’t in control.” She pauses, swirling the ramen broth with her chopstick. “Your relationship with Newton could damage anything you have to say.”

Hermann swallows heavily. “I realise that.”

The hand he has resting on the table is suddenly covered by Mako’s. He looks up and sees her ears bearing into his. “But you have people who believe you. Everyone who believes you has some standing: members of the PPDC whose words should be taken as gospel.”

Hermann looks down at the food that’s in front of him. Mako’s gaze hardens into something steely. It reminds him of her Jaeger pilot days, or during meetings with potential funding clients who ask just how useful are the Jaegers anyways. “When you came and told me about Newton, about what had happened to his mind, I trusted you without question. He may have ordered that machine to kill me, but I understand now that it wasn’t him. I don’t know him as well as you do, but I know you, Hermann.”

 Mako squeezes his hand under her own. “Everything will be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

**Author's Note:**

> *cracks knuckles* I was Spartan-kicked back into this fandom after a couple of months and prepare yourselves for some Angsty Times. 
> 
> Tumblr: yourqueenforayear.tumblr.com
> 
> Comments & Kudos gladly welcomed.


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